Shoes that look better with age...

[PeterParker]

I was thinking the same thing about a leather sole. If I got something with a leather sole I think I'd put a Topy half sole on it, but that almost seems blasphemous.

The Winn Perry's were supposedly designed for PNW weather:

This boot, like our longwing, features Alden’s "Double Waterloc" oiled leather sole. Offering the beauty of a leather sole with the added functionality of water resistance to dramatically increase the life of your soles on soggy ground.

I had read somewhere that the oiled leather sole wears faster than the traditional leather sole though...? The Winn Perry's are my favourite of those as well. Alas, they are sold out of my size with no restocks in the near future.

[Satya]

demonito

now I know why your wife told you to sell some of your things Ed, look at those dust around the engineer..

[Denim Phenom]

demonito

now I know why your wife told you to sell some of your things Ed, look at those dust around the engineer..

It's because he works construction, probably just dust from the work site.

But on a side note, Edmond is a hoarder. Buys way more jeans and boots than anyone would ever need, yet he rides a Hardly Davidson.

[marineabilly]

Speaking of Engineer Boots. I'm calling it quits on a pair of mine. I just put them up on the Supermarket

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

I need some help choosing a pair of Alden boots. This would be my primary go-to pair of boots (i.e. worn at least 3 times a week) so I want them to be fairly rugged. They won't see too much abuse though so I also don't want something too casual. I'm located in the Pacific Northwest, so the weather is a bit of concern.

I'm considering the following:

Kudu Ultimate Indy

Vintage Indy

Officer's Indy

Straight Tip Boots

Jumper Boots

Questions in my head:

How does the Kudu leather age?

Which leather is more appropriate/requires less maintenance (calf, nubuck or shell cordovan?)

Which sole would be most appropriate for the PNW weather (leather, oiled leather, commando)?

The Indy's are an obvious choice, but I prefer the Cap Toe design. I also prefer the sleekness of the double leather sole or at least something with matching sides, unlike the Indy's. I started looking for something calfskin, but shell cordovan is so seductive...

Opinions?

in terms of comfort in the rain there really isn't a better option than cordovan. My pair of #8 boots are great even in the considerable amount of rain we get in Portland. They require infrequent treatment and still look perfect once they dry out. That being said, I have a lot of other pairs that are not cordovan, and they simply require more frequent applications of Obenaufs/Sno Seal/whatever. So I guess it depends a lot on how much maintenance you feel like doing.

oh, and fwiw- if I were in the market for a new pair of Alden's I'd be looking at the Roy Boot that context did. It's beautiful and will definitely only age better with frequent conditioning and waterproofing.

[choice]

speaking of which, one month until the second run of the Roy boots are shipped out. it'll be my first pair of solid boots and I'm beyond excited.

anyone else expecting a pair?

[RoyalKooparillo]

Gorgeous boots!! Bet those will look amazing once they've been worn in.

[tmadd]

How does the Kudu leather age?

Which leather is more appropriate/requires less maintenance (calf, nubuck or shell cordovan?)

Which sole would be most appropriate for the PNW weather (leather, oiled leather, commando)?

The Indy's are an obvious choice, but I prefer the Cap Toe design. I also prefer the sleekness of the double leather sole or at least something with matching sides, unlike the Indy's. I started looking for something calfskin, but shell cordovan is so seductive...

Opinions?

I love my jump-boots, and think that especially for wet weather, opting for shell cordovan is your best value when buying Alden boots...a pair of boots that ages beautifully, but can also be polished up to look nearly as good as brand new is a pretty sweet deal. I've dealt with pretty serious wet weather with leather soles, and it wasn't a big problem for me, but if you wanted some low key, good looking non-leather soles on a shell boot, the AF53 from Alden of Carmel is a great choice as well.

[SLAB]

Although I love my jumper boots as well I haven't seen much chance yet wearing them since the leather soles make it practically impossible to walk outside in snow and rain. (hell, I almost even slipped on my ass inside the house)

I'd go for the kudu indies or another pair with Vibram soles (such as the little tanker from Winperry or the Roy boots from context; even better get the PTB in cordovan from Leathersoul and you're really set for the rainy weather)

are you sure the Roy boots will be shipped next month; I thought it said in their mail that the new shipping date will be around may? I sincerely hope they'll ship next month since i'm also expecting them

and dear jeezus, those ravello cordovans look amazing

[edmond]

viberg western

[edmond]

semi dress

[fardin]

the stallion western vibergs look great. i wonder if they also come with a thinner sole?

[edmond]

they do ask for a single leather sole

[illumin8em]

they do ask for a single leather sole

.

.

those stallions are awesome. for me the best thing about them is the narrow shaft and opening of the boot. it is the one thing that i wish brands in my price range would catch on to.

is that a customizable option on the Viberg demonito?

[edmond]

yes they are custom-able hit em up!

[jlam01342]

i just got a pair of red wing boots and i want them darker. i was thinking of applying oil, but i'm not sure which kind. i've read that neatsfoot oil works well, but i'm not sure how effective it is because i think i have to keep applying and applying it. i read about a jacket some time ago that said it was darkened by applying oil and then rubbing it with newspaper. anyone ever heard of/tried this? 'cause i was thinking about rubbing the neatsfoot oil on the boots, rubbing it with newspaper while they're wet, then leaving them out in the sun...

[coupon]

obenaufs LP will do the trick

[TTM]

FS:

[captain5640]

^Size??^

10 char.

[Doug C]

the stallion western vibergs look great. i wonder if they also come with a thinner sole?

they do ask for a single leather sole

Yes but what we're seeing in that picture is actually a three layer sole, no? I mean isn't that a double leather sole and also a half sole of some kind (vibram lug itype of half sole is my guess)? NIce boots BTW.

[Doug C]

Nevermind, I got 'em confused... thought we were talking about the SD Whites.

[Doug C]

Speaking of Engineer Boots. I'm calling it quits on a pair of mine. I just put them up on the Supermarket

I'm not much on the engineer boots but damd, these look awesome!! I just love that freakin' faded out brown leather, with the tan coming through. These are some of the best looking boots IMHO in this whole thread - why you given up on them?

[marineabilly]

Thanks for the kind words. My SDs are made from the standard dress black leather with antique brass eyelets/hooks. They have a leather double sole with a brown stain, and they are lined in brown leather.

I'm really happy that I went with the dress leather...it's very comfortable, durable, and it's breaking in very well.

As far as the cap toe goes, I indicated that I wanted one a little shorter than the standard length one. There was a bit of confusion as to exactly how large I wanted it, but I emailed them a couple of pictures to illustrate what I was talking about and they pretty much nailed it.

As far as sizing goes, I sent foot measurements and tracings to White's via fax, and they matched my foot with a 9.5D last. Normally I wear 10.5 in running shoes, 10 in casual shoes, and 9.5 in dress shoes. So I was a bit surprised to be provided a 9.5, but they fit perfectly, with plenty of room for the piggly wigglies. Hope that helps!

Good looking boots there. Could you share some details? For example, which leather, single/double sole, antique eyelets, etc. Also, tell me about sizing.

Hey fellas, new here but I've been lurking for a few months now...what an epic thread this is! Really a gold mine of great information and pics of leather boots/shoes.

Thought I'd share a few pics of my custom Semi-Dress.

For those that haven't had the pleasure of owning a pair of White's, a few observations:

-even though they may look a bit "clunky," it's just an illusion. Once they're on your feet they feel light and trim.

-once broken in, they fit like an old leather glove. Really some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn.

-don't let the "Arch-ease" scare you off...although it's very prominent and might feel a bit weird at first, it conforms to your arch within a few days of wearing. Truly outstanding support.

Over all, I couldn't be happier with these boots. The custom ordering process was a smooth experience, handled by phone and fax with Mark at White's. Excellent customer service, very easy. I made a special request to have a shorter cap-toe than they normally make, provided a picture of what I meant, and it turned out exactly as I envisioned. I'm also very pleased with the leather lining...buttery smooth and adds a bit of structure to the boot.

As far as care, I treated them with Obenauf's LP when I first received them, and have since hit them up with Saphir cream polish once or twice. They have broken in beautifully.

I'm getting ready to start the process of ordering my Whites Semi-Dress with Cap Toes just like these, but maybe with different leather (still deciding on the leather) and was wondering if anyone has any tips/advice with regard to ordering through Whites or Bakers, sizing with the tracing, etc.

Thanks so much!!

[marineabilly]

I'm not much on the engineer boots but damd, these look awesome!! I just love that freakin' faded out brown leather, with the tan coming through. These are some of the best looking boots IMHO in this whole thread - why you given up on them?

Thanks! They are KILLER, but they've been sitting in my upper closet for at least seven months and I haven't worn them. Prior to thatI may have worn them just a few times in the couple years I've had them. I have more Engineer Boots than I can even wear. It's time to move on to a pair of White's Semi-Dress that I'll actually wear. It's doing no one any good in my closet.

FYI: I just now sold them and received payment. White's... here I come. Didn't need to sell them to get whites - it just feels good to rotate the wardrobe without having to dish out any money.

[TTM]

^Size??^

10 char.

Size 7.5 (should fit a size 9 US just right) click the picture for more info

[.API.]

I'm getting ready to start the process of ordering my Whites Semi-Dress with Cap Toes just like these, but maybe with different leather (still deciding on the leather) and was wondering if anyone has any tips/advice with regard to ordering through Whites or Bakers, sizing with the tracing, etc.

Thanks so much!!

here is my bit of help. go straight through whites, don't go through bakers, when they botch the size on a pair of customs you ordered... you are fuck'd..obviously still a bit of resentment there..

still order from experts not salesmen

[holleman]

First post on this forum, and i'm not sure if i'm at the right place for my question, but hey.

I'm looking for some RW Iron Rangers 8113, but i'm not quit sure about the sizing. I'm a US9 / EUR 42.5 for Chucks, which size do you guys think i'll need for the Iron Rangers?

Im not in the position to try a pair, since they don't sell RW's in my area.

Could someone help me?

Thanks and Cheers

Edit: if it helps, a friend of mine has Chucks US10 and wears his Rangers in US9.5

[Fiddy]

First post on this forum, and i'm not sure if i'm at the right place for my question, but hey.

I'm looking for some RW Iron Rangers 8113, but i'm not quit sure about the sizing. I'm a US9 / EUR 42.5 for Chucks, which size do you guys think i'll need for the Iron Rangers?

Im not in the position to try a pair, since they don't sell RW's in my area.

Could someone help me?

Thanks and Cheers

I would go with an 8.5.

[edmond]

who and how to contact whites directly? are they cheaper?

[slide13]

I went straight through White's (their phone number is on their website) and had a great experience. Price seems to be about the same as Baker, I just don't see the necessity of adding a middle-man to the process.

I say just do the foot tracing, send them in with a written order explaining what you want and then follow that up with a phone call in a few days. I had my boots in about 3 weeks and the fit is perfect.